Contrary to the apparent preferences of you natives, I had always preferred the look of the capital letters without accents. Having read this thread, [...], I was rather disheartened but the fact that all these people whose opinion I value preferred their addition - thinking I would have to start putting accents on capitals as necessary.

However, now I know that the académie française prefers accents to be added it is with a clear and easy, nay, happy mind that I will go on not adding them! (the decision not to capitalise "académie", however, was entirely my own! )

How happy am I to read this thread and find that we should put accents on capital letters in French?! I have always done this despite people telling me it's not the done thing, and when they next quibble my actions I can quote you all!

I am trying to work out best way of doing accents -- I know there are threads on it, and have checked them out.

But I was wondering, lists of alt numbers etc always include capitals, but I thought that often in French people didn;t bother with accents on capital letters. When are they used and when are they not?

I'm not so sure I understand ''French people didn't bother with accents on capital letters '', because I do use it, and always did.

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When I was learning French in the 1970s, I was taught not to use accents on capital letters because the French generally did not do so. It is only in recent years that I have started using accents on capital letters, after having read online articles such as that of the French Academy at

When I was learning French in the 1970s, I was taught not to use accents on capital letters because the French generally did not do so. It is only in recent years that I have started using accents on capital letters, after having read online articles such as that of the French Academy

The reason such articles are written, of course, is that not all Frenchmen use such accents.

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I see. Yes, well usage is always a factor I guess, but it helps to have some sort of arbiter of what is the current accepted standard ... guess that's why the French came up with the Académie Française.

Having read much French throughout my life, I am still confused about the rules, (if indeed there are any), regarding accents on capital letters. For example, if a sentence were to begin with "ça" would it be "Ca" ou "Ça?" Similary, is it "A" ou "À" etc.

I have seen accents either used or not used so many times; I would really like to know the "correct" way of doing this.

Having read much French throughout my life, I am still confused about the rules, (if indeed there are any), regarding accents on capital letters. For example, if a sentence were to begin with "ça" would it be "Ca" ou "Ça?" Similary, is it "A" ou "À" etc.

I have seen accents either used or not used so many times; I would really like to know the "correct" way of doing this.

Thanks in advance.

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You can use both but you'd better put accents. In books, there are accents on capital letters but when you typewrite, you often can't put accent on capital letters, so...

The original rule was do NOT use accents on capitals (majuscules); but his was derived simply from typsetting constraints: it was feasible to use Italian, German (and English) type stamps and add accents onto them when the letters were lower case (small) but not so when they were upper case and thus without room on the stamp to add an accent. Nowadays, people are saying that with computers we should start putting them on capitals, particularly since the previous rule was not based on the language but a practical consideration; still some purists continue with the old rule, "on ne devrait pas." It's up to you, but I use the following system: for Canadians and Quebeckers, I use accented capitals, but for French audiences, I do not, except for the cedilla.

I think the "traditional" rule of not using it was a function of typewriters that didn't have such accent keys. (Such was never the case in Canada, where most typewriters had capital letter accent keys.) See here.

I think the "traditional" rule of not using it was a function of typewriters that didn't have such accent keys. (Such was never the case in Canada, where most typewriters had capital letter accent keys.) See here.